The University of Ottawa and its Senate, from the eyes of students

uOttawa again ordered to release Allan Rock’s emails

“I conclude that the university has not discharged its onus and that there is no reasonable expectation of harm identified by the university occurring if the records are disclosed.” — Para. 25, Final Order PO-3540-F.

In August 2015, we reported on an Interim Order of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) that ordered the University of Ottawa to release emails between President Allan Rock and his former Chief of Staff, Stephan Emard-Chabot.

We recently received the IPC’s Final Order (PO-3540-F) on this matter. This decision orders the university to release another set of records, which were withheld on the basis of section 17 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, a section intended to protect the “informational assets” of third parties who provide information to a public institution. None of the third parties contacted by the adjudicator objected to disclosure of the information pertaining to them:

[15] As noted above, I notified the five third-parties of this appeal and provided them with the opportunity to make representations. One of the third-parties did not respond. The others responded as follows:

• One third-party stated that the records relating to it “may be released to the [appellant]”.

• One third-party stated that it had “no concerns regarding the disclosure of the information”…

• One third-party stated that it had “no objection”…

• One third-party stated that it was “ok with [the] request”…

[16] The third-parties did not file representations beyond these statements.

The access to information request was filed in September 2011. The Final Order is dated Oct. 15, 2015.